I'm new here but I have read a lot of the previous forum posts before registering (I.e just doing pet research). I live in quebec and I have been searching for the right dog for a while and last week I was lucky enough to be introduced to a really beautiful husky/lab/rednose pitbull mix. I've done research on husky/lab mix dogs and I know they require a lot of attention, big open spaces, and I find my home offers that. I know I'll be an extremely dedicated/passionate owner , seriously not one day since last week I haven't sstopped thinking about the dog! my only problem now is the dog itself is verryy excited, which is a good thing but is the dog good around little kids? I have a little 6 year old sister and a 13 year old. I know husky/labs love kids (watched my neighbours for 2 months and we'd play in the backyard for hours. But the one I'm adopting, has anyone ever seen how they are around kids? Or if they're aggressive, I met her 6 times and she is very excited! I can post pictures , she's 4 months old with no shots on her. She LOVES to be loved. Can't even express how much I love playing with her. I'm 21 btw, and this will be my first official dog but I've watched dogs in the past for my neighbour for long periods. Thank you again!

When you are dealing with a mix, it is really hard to say which characteristics will be inherited. As you have met her, and nothing appears to stand out as worrisome, then you should be just fine.

I am a bit concerned that at 4 months, this puppy has had no shots. While I don't believe in over vaccinating, I do think that the puppy basics are very important.

Large, open spaces are wonderful, but if they are not fenced in, your new puppy should only go out on a leash. As this is your first dog, I strongly suggest you find yourself a good trainer, that teaches using positive methods, to attend classes with. A good trainer will teach you so much more than just some basic commands and set both you and your puppy up to succeed in life.

Whether or not your puppy is going to depend very much on you! If you attend classes, train and socialize your puppy - you should have a wonderful dog! Equally important is remembering that young children need to learn how to treat dogs as well. Hitting, pulling and poking are things that we do not do to our dogs. Your pup needs to be left alone at meal time and any time she has a high value treat, such as a bone.

When you are dealing with a mix, it is really hard to say which characteristics will be inherited. As you have met her, and nothing appears to stand out as worrisome, then you should be just fine.

I am a bit concerned that at 4 months, this puppy has had no shots. While I don't believe in over vaccinating, I do think that the puppy basics are very important.

Large, open spaces are wonderful, but if they are not fenced in, your new puppy should only go out on a leash. As this is your first dog, I strongly suggest you find yourself a good trainer, that teaches using positive methods, to attend classes with. A good trainer will teach you so much more than just some basic commands and set both you and your puppy up to succeed in life.

Whether or not your puppy is going to depend very much on you! If you attend classes, train and socialize your puppy - you should have a wonderful dog! Equally important is remembering that young children need to learn how to treat dogs as well. Hitting, pulling and poking are things that we do not do to our dogs. Your pup needs to be left alone at meal time and any time she has a high value treat, such as a bone.

I disagree with leaving the puppy alone when it is eating. I think puppies should be trained to have food taken away from them at a young age. They're picking thing up off the ground and floor all the time and something it could be very harmful to them and you'll need to take it out of their mouth safely. I always let my dogs know I was going to be in their space when eating. You should not allow your puppy to be so protected of it food , what if you had company and they had small child that did not know the dog and they got too close to the dog when it was eating. The child could get bitten. I know someone that a dog that was allowed to be protected of it food and you could not trust the dog when a small child was around. And my dog was at risk too of getting bitten by that dog.

I cannot express how strongly I AGREE that dogs should be let to eat in peace. Dr. Ed Bailey, an animal behaviourist and dog lover, agrees too. he says this:

Quote:

Do not interrupt his eating. Set his food down and let him eat without wondering when you are going to stop him. Your wife must set the food down and not reach into the dish as though she is taking it away. Dogs don't like being jerked around any more than people do. Mostly, dogs prefer things to be organized, predictable and consistent.

Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin, founders of Doggone Safe and the Doggone Crazy board game, also agree it is VERY BAD to mess with and take away a dog's food while it is eating. They say:

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Many people are of the unfounded belief that taking the bowl (or other high value object) away and giving it back is a way to teach the dog to accept this. Actually this teaches the dog to mistrust people coming near the bowl. The action that occurs immediately following the approach of the person is the taking of the desired object. Even if the object is subsequently returned, it is the taking away that becomes associated with the approach of a person. Using this approach could increase bite risk for children and visitors to the home since the dog will assume that any person intends to take his treasures and he may be less tolerant than with the ruling adult.

Here is the Doggone Safe website for more information on how to achieve safe interactions between children and dogs. http://www.doggonesafe.com/

My thinking is, just suppose an owner does use the taking food away method. Who has such a parent given the duty of the safety of their child to? The dog. The dog? The dog is now responsible for the safety of the child? Come on, parents, do your job. Your child's safety is your responsiblity. Parents must supervise their small children around their dog, whether the dog is eating or not, but especially while it is eating.

I think it is paramount for a person to be able to take food away from the dog, teaching this in a positive manner can be stress free for the dog and prevent possible life threatening emergencies in the future. Again, this should NOT be stressful to the dog, it should be fun. You don't just give food, yank it away, and walk away with it. There is a lot of info out there on how to do food exercises with a dog properly, and they should absolutely be done with every dog.

Now, bring kids into the picture, no way no how should kids ever be messing around with a dog's food. Kids should be taught to respect the animal and ask their parents permission before doing any thing and when they do some thing it should always be with the parent right there with them. Kids and dogs don't mix very well naturally, it's a learned process and it's very individual dog dependant. Just like every human doesn't appreciate a screaming child, not all dogs like the company or interactions with children.

You teach a dog to give you what it has in it's mouth by teaching it to "give"! By constantly putting you hands in your dogs bowl and taking things that you have given, you are teaching your puppy that it NEEDS to protect it's food! I tell you what - if one of my kids ever put a hand on my plate, they would pull back a stump! I expect no less of my dog!

Having said that, I can take anything I want from my 100 pound dog with absolutely no issues what so ever because I taught him, from the time he was a puppy, that his food is his, what I ask for is mine, and he ALWAYS gets something when he gives me what I want.

If you are dealing with a lovely, placid, lab you might be able to get away with the old "hand in the food dish" method. But I tend to like dogs with a bit more spunk. I would think that a dog with some husky and some pit just might be inclined to protect those things it deems important - like dinner. It is much easier to teach a puppy to give than to unteach a puppy that has learned to protect it's food bowl.

You teach a dog to give you what it has in it's mouth by teaching it to "give"! By constantly putting you hands in your dogs bowl and taking things that you have given, you are teaching your puppy that it NEEDS to protect it's food! I tell you what - if one of my kids ever put a hand on my plate, they would pull back a stump! I expect no less of my dog!

Having said that, I can take anything I want from my 100 pound dog with absolutely no issues what so ever because I taught him, from the time he was a puppy, that his food is his, what I ask for is mine, and he ALWAYS gets something when he gives me what I want.

If you are dealing with a lovely, placid, lab you might be able to get away with the old "hand in the food dish" method. But I tend to like dogs with a bit more spunk. I would think that a dog with some husky and some pit just might be inclined to protect those things it deems important - like dinner. It is much easier to teach a puppy to give than to unteach a puppy that has learned to protect it's food bowl.

Exactly. That method can seem to work. Many dogs will not object. They probably would not have objected if it was a one off hand in the mouth or dish either, as per Dr. Bailey. The problem is, that method can fail and when/if it does the damage can be devastating. Not only that, but the messing with the food method sets a dog up to fail, as per Orr and Lewin. Whereas the parent who supervises a child method can never fail. Why would a parent accept anything less than a guarantee with their child's face or hand?

Thank you for the replies! The puppy itself seems very energetic. The first day I saw her I bought her a little ball to play with and everytime I visit it, it seems to jump on me and we play with the ball. She seems really friendly. As for the little siblings, my sisters are really mature for their age and when I would have the lab/husky over, my sisters wouldn't bother them but would just play with them. The 6 year old was scared of dogs until the husky/lab mix and she seemed to love him! But I'm kinda nervous seeing how the pitbull is mixed in and hoping she won't be violent towards her.

Please don't buy into all the negative press about pit bulls. Properly trained and socialized (as EVERY dog should be) they make wonderful pets that are notoriously fabulous with children. They didn't get the nickname "the nanny dog" for nothing.